Any pancakes Obama likes have got to be good, right? I mean, he's probably had a lot of pancakes. But his very favorite ones? Located right in Pittsburgh - at Pamela's P&G Diner in the Strip District.

First things first, Pamela's is CASH ONLY. And they're only open until 3 p.m. We hit up an ATM, and we luckily found a spot on the street nearby to the Strip District location and simply walked over. We had to put in our license plate for the meter. Weird.

We stood at the front for a few awkward moments as diners watched us fidget. It gets packed in here, but I think we hit it at a good time.

For just two people, we were seated in a row of two-person tables where I felt as thought I was closer to the people to my sides than to Afton, who was in front of me.

I ordered Pamela's Famous Crepe Hotcakes with sausage links for $7.35. While you do need cash here, at least it's pretty cheap. And if you're not feeling breakfast, they have salads and sandwiches.

But, really, get the pancakes. They're huge and slightly crispy on the edges. Very flat and served three at a time, eclipsing my plate.



I like the little bits of crisp at the end. Make sure to get some protein, though, to help sop up the massive discs of syrup and butter and carbs. Tasty. If you have the chance, check it out.

Grade: A

If you've seen the dark red truck with a yellow band dotted with animal and food graphics around town, you're not alone. I spotted the Hash Browns & News Grounds truck driving downtown and had been trying for quite some time to track it down and enjoy some of its delicacies.

Cody Thrasher, the owner of HB&NG, is from Bridgeport (where he sometimes takes the truck for the farmers market). He has a passion for showing folks both classic and new food - all with a creative touch (and fresh, local food!). The "Hash Brown" part of the name is something that is familiar to people and not easy to mess up, he said. The "New Grounds" part of the name is representative of how he wants to show folks something new and different. A friend of his designed the truck for him (which is rad). And he is currently searching the area for places to park and dish out watermelon salads, macaroni and cheese, and chicken on a stick.


For now, a good place to spot him is at Campus Evolution Villages (formerly The District) from about 5:30 to 8ish p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He is getting better about posting where he'll be in advance on his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Check those out for the menu each day and some foodporn, too.

I've gone twice now: The first time was pretty busy, and he ended up running out of some items. So a second visit was in order. And - disclaimer - because of that, my second visit was free. OK. Prepare your tastebuds.

Summer salad (fresh strawberries, feta, roasted beet, sunflower seeds, extra virgin olive oil, sweet balsamic reduction with crostini) - Pretty tasty. I'm a fan of sweet and tangy. So the strawberry + feta combo made me happy. And I LOVE beets. I know most people don't, but it worked for me.

BBQ spare rib sliders with cheese sauce -  The flavor for these bad boys was on point. A few cartilege-y pieces and pretty messy overall -- not so much two sliders, but meat just piled atop two connected buns. But tasted good.

Chicken on a stick - Also a basic item; it's literally a piece of chicken on a stick, but still tasty. A little sweet, a little tangy. But all good.

French fry hash - A basic item that those who are a little hesitant to step outside of their comfort zone. This is a good starting point. Some super tasty potatoes drizzled with Sriracha and just a bit of cheese.

And my second visit just knocked it out of the park.

H20Melon salad (feta, mint oil, balsamic reduction, black hawaiian sea sat) - I truly don't know who is interested in ordering a watermelon salad from a food truck. But everyone should be. The presentation was beautiful, despite what is pictured above. The car ride did a number on it. The drizzles were perfect, and how cute are the square chunks of watermelon? Luckily, the flavor was impeccable. Fresh, juicy, sweet watermelon with salty feta cheese and some mint flavor in the background. I mean, I know you probably don't believe me, but this is REALLY good. Just try it. It's so fresh and crisp, but satisfying. Just awesome.

BBQ spare ribs - These WOULD have been made into sliders had I gotten there a little later, but I'm really happy Cody asked if I wanted just a whole piece of rib. Because sweet Jesus were these good. The sauce was just so good. Smokey, but tangy, but only slightly sweet. So good that I was licking my fingers GOOD. I don't even know what he did, but I thought about going back to ask.

Jalapeno gnocchi mac & cheese (with grilled pepperoni and a panko topping) - My absolute favorite. I don't know the last time I had something this good. Let alone from a food truck. The gnocchi was incredible, the sauce just delicious, the drizzle of spice, with a bit of crunch from the grilled pepperoni. You're doing yourself a great disservice if you don't try this. Probably the best dish to grace Morgantown in 2014.


The flavor combinations are bangin'. I love the stark contrast between something sweet and something salty. What's kind of incredible is there is some creative thought put into these dishes, as well as the presentation. It's like a mini piece of art.

Plus Cody seems like a stand-up dude. He cares about what he's serving - which is clear through his service to his customers as well as the thought he puts into his dishes.

Get out, support Morgantown's only food truck operation, and even see if he can come to a place near you. You won't regret it.

Grade: A

As a waiter at Table 9 rattled off beer specials, he mentioned a local "Chestnut Brew Works Nate's Nut Brown Ale."

Chestnut Brew Works? Never heard of it. Give me one ... then two. Then four.

This local brewery was good. How didn't I know about it? I must find out more. I emailed Bill, the owner, who told me I was welcome to come check out the brewery - although it's a humble one-room garage located at the edge of his yard. In the meantime, I pitched a story idea to Spotlight WV Magazine, which gave me the go-ahead.

Click here to read all about the brewery.

My visit with Bill was pretty great. He took a good chunk out of his day to teach me about what he does and why he does it. Incredibly patient and eager to share his passion, Bill gave me all the information I needed for my article and let me try a sample of his Halleck Pale Ale (his number one seller). Hoppy and delicious.

He's super knowledgable and has been working with other brewers around the state to represent the craft beer industry in West Virginia and push for legislation that will work in their favor. He expressed how currently, he cannot sell his own beer by the bottle at his brewery, and it's difficult for him to brew new beers without some major hurdles. I hope they have some progress so this industry can continue to grow in-state.

He just recently announced he'll be opening up a brewery and tasting room (and hopefully food!) in the South Park area. His beer is already sold in Black Bear, Atomic Grill, Apothecary, etc. And, soon, everyone will have a chance to try these great brews at his very own brewery and tasting room. Can't wait.

I didn't know about ramps, really, until I moved to Charleston. There, I learned their appeal to natives and even had my first ramp.

Morgantown is so lucky to have a number of farmers markets from which to choose.

Monday - Cheat Lake Farmers Market
Tuesday - Westover Farmers Market
Wednesday - Health Sciences Center Farmers Market
Thursday - South Morgantown Community Farmers Market (1966 Grafton Rd.)
Friday - XXXXXXXXX
Saturday - Morgantown Farmers Market

[And I think there's a Morgantown Country Farmers Consignment Market, but I'm not sure how that one works]


Cheat Lake is from 4-7 p.m. in the parking lot of the Chestnut Ridge Church, across from Ruby & Ketchy's Restaurant.

Cheat Lake's market is pretty small, with just six vendors total: The Bakery, Brian's Hydroponic tomatoes, Sines Farm, Busy Beavers Farm and Greenhouse, Clear View Farm and Chipps Farm. I bought from half of them!


Here's what they had:

The Bakery: Pepperoni rolls Jalapeño/cheddar bread, cinnamon raisin bread, donuts
Brian’s Hydroponic Tomatoes: Tomatoes
Sines Farm: Squash Maple syrup, green onions, dried hot peppers, basil, swiss chard, lettuce, spinach
Busy Beavers Farm and Greenhouse: Onions, tomato plants, flowers, oatmeal cake, banana bread, peanut butter fudge, apple dumplings
Clear View Farm: Eggs, herb breads, sourdough bread, cinnamon bread, pepperoni bread, treats
Chipps Farm: Lettuce, strawberries, eggs, onions

I got a pepperoni roll from Clear View Farms, some peanut butter fudge from Busy Beavers Farm and Greenhouse, and cookies from The Bakery.

The pepperoni roll was GREAT. And these folks don't go to the regular Morgantown market. Just my first bite -- and it was already filled with pepperoni and cheese. The whole thing was brimming with deliciousness and it was just $3. I think I'll have to be back to get one. One of the best I've had in town, I think.

Peanut butter fudge is always good - but it's especially tasty when it's not the hard, break chunks off and nearly lose a tooth kind. It was soft. Great.

And the cookies - also good! I'm a huge fan of anywhere that lets me opt for something that isn't a chocolate chip cookie. So, the inverse? Awesome.

I still have a few more markets to try: the one at Health Sciences, the "South Morgantown" one and potentially this consignment one. Anyone been? Thoughts?